Wishing for winter...

Well after two ninety degree days in a row, I woke up this morning to a semi-cloudy day and because of the AC blasting, I deluded myself into thinking it was going to be a cooler day. So I made pot roast. By midday, the breeze still had a slightly cooler temperature than the sweltering weekend, but it was clear that it wasn't quite a pot roast kind of day. Still, it's nice to think there's dinner waiting for me at home at the end of a long, crazy work day. Phew. And I tried a new recipe for Balsamic Pot Roast that sounds delicious ~ I mean, doesn't this pic just make your mouth water?!?!?! Yum!


UPDATE: It's delicious!!! All three diners give this recipe a big thumbs up. We'll be eating this again!

Smiling and trying not to lose my mind...

The heat stole my motivation. Knowing that other parts of the country are enjoying the onset of fall make it somehow worse. The anniversary of September 11th makes me sad every year. Being reminded of evil and tragedy and loss so incomprehensible makes me a little apprehensive about the future. My to do list before I leave for my trip to Bali is so long that subcategories have subcategories... And in the middle of it all, I am trying (TRYING!) to smile and stay calm. This will have to be my mantra for the next few weeks. Not a bad mantra for life actually!

Over it!!!

Well it's shaping up to be another ridiculously hot day in the extended summer misery of Southern California. Sigh. I am SO OVER IT. The heat is SO irritating, so persistent and so uninspiring! I hope it's a lovely, long, rainy winter to make up for this nonsense :P Meanwhile, I'll be blasting my AC and dreaming of things like this:

And this:

And THIS:

Product review - Covergirl/Olay

I signed up a while ago to be a product reviewer, and recently received two products from the Covergirl and Olay cosmetic line - Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation and the pressed powder. I couldn't wait to try these products, the foundation especially looks interesting and unique - swirls of lotion through the make up! Anyway, I had to guess the right color and boy did I get lucky. I used quite a bit of product on freshly moisturized skin (no primer - wasn't sure if I was supposed to use primer?), and it give buildable medium coverage for blemishes, redness and other areas of discoloration. It doesn't feel oily, and although the coverage is great, it doesn't feel heavy or look mask-y on. I really liked the coverage I got from using this product! After applying the foundation (I used my fingertips - keeping it simple :P), I used the pressed powder to set it. I like the silky feel of the powder, and the way it doesn't look overly cakey. If you've never tried these amazing products, I recommend you do! I was really happy with the look I achieved using them in tandem. They were nice enough to send me coupons to share with friends and family, so comment below if you'd like me to send you a coupon! Find them at your neighborhood pharmacy, or your nearest Ulta store, or order online!

DISCLAIMER: I'm a BzzAgent and I received a product sample from BzzAgent for this review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own personal opinions :D

Weekend Whirlwind

Gosh I LOVE long weekends. Here's a little collage from our weekend road trip to AZ.

You might recognize my tasty little snack from this Tour de Tucson post. Hope you had a relaxing, enjoyable Labor Day too!

Luv of Shopping ~ Giveaway!!

Who loves free stuff?! I know I do!!! My friend Marissa is having another AMAZING giveaway. Check out details by clicking the link below!

For the love of shopping!: Another Giveaway!! Say What?!

Foodie Penpals - August!!!

Do you LOVE getting packages at work? I do!!! I work really long days, so I usually have packages delivered to me at the office, so it's not sitting on my doorstep in the sun all day, and it really makes my day when I get a package. Of course when it's my Foodie Penpals package, it's like a little surprise party for my taste buds and I get EXTRA excited :)  The only downside is I never manage to get good pictures, coz I'm SO eager to sample the treats! I received my package this month from Amy at A Healthe Eater and it was full of deliciousness (that's a word, right?!) - some of which I am saving for our weekend road trip!

Again, sorry for the terrible picture, but it was a mere formality required before I could start sampling! Amy sent popcorn (yum!), Tazo tea, honey (her Grandpa's honey!), pretzel chips, sundried tomato spread, and two snack bars (which I have saved for our trip!). The funniest thing about Foodie Penpals is that I never provide much guidance, preferring to be surprised and so far, both penpals have completely guessed things I LOVE and sent things I have wanted to try but haven't had a chance to. The sundried tomato spread and pretzel chips made an appearance at a tapas style dinner my hubby and I shared earlier this week, and we loved them (saved a few pretzel chips for the car too...)! The rest of the item were spot on - I love a cup of tea with honey, have never tried a larabar but always wanted to, and love quick and easy popcorn for a snack :D Thank you SO much Amy for the lovely box of surprises!!! Looking forward to seeing what next month will bring!

Want to see what I sent to my penpal? Pop over to Taralyn's blog a little later, and I'm sure she'll tell you all about it!

Think that Foodie Penpals might be something for you? You don't have to have a blog to join - pop over to The Lean Green Bean and check it out!